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He Gave His Only Son

"Have you come to believe because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed."

John 21:29

• There should be less talk. A preaching point is not a meeting point.


• The dying, the cripple, the mental, the unwanted, the unloved-- they are Jesus in disguise.


• In the West there is loneliness, which I call the leprosy of the West. In many ways it is worse than our poor in Calcutta. (Commonweal, Dec 19, 1997)


• It is not how much we do, but how much love we put in the doing. It is not how much we give, but how much love we put in the giving.


• The poor give us much more than we give them. They're such strong people, living day to day with no food. and they never curse, never complain. We don't have to give them pity or sympathy. We have so much to learn from them.


• I see God in every human being. When I wash the leper's wounds, I feel I am nursing the Lord himself. Is it not a beautiful experience?


• I do not pray for success. I ask for faithfulness.


• Let us not be satisfied with just giving money. Money is not enough, money can be got, but they need your hearts to love them. So, spread your love everywhere you go.


• If you judge people, you have no time to love them.

~Mother Teresa~

We will never be left alone, an orphan. What a great hope Jesus left us with. The night before He died Jesus promised: “The Father will give you the Spirit of truth. He will be in you.” We are promised a life with Jesus and God and all we have to do is love Jesus. Of course, loving someone else is never as easy as it sounds. That is why we rely so much on the help of the Holy Spirit.

I remember when I was brought into the Catholic Church at the age of 32. I had married Linda a few years earlier and decided not to be baptized into the Church. Things changed when we were pregnant with our first child. I had observed Linda attending Mass on weekends but had not made the connection yet. I thought about what life would be like after our child was born. I was also attending baptism classes at our local parish. And then, it struck me, Linda and I will be responsible for the spiritual well-being and life of this new person. Sure, Linda could do it on her own, many women do, but what about the spiritual well-being and life of our family? What about me? Something is missing. And then I knew that God was missing from my life.

I received the Holy Spirit that year and I believe that Peter and John and all the saints were sent from Jerusalem to celebrate this Holy union. I will never be an orphan. The Spirit is within you and me. But how do we know the Spirit is there? When we are confirmed we talk about the Spirit within us being stirred up and the Spirit is awaken from a slumber. Of course, the Spirit does not slumber; it is really us who were in a slumber.

The Spirit within us gives us the words to give an explanation to anyone who asks for a reason for our hope.

I recently went on a poverty retreat at the Downtown Chapel who minister to the homeless and otherwise marginalized people. I saw dedicated servants showing nothing but love to anyone that came. I saw dedicated volunteers that were eager to learn more about God’s love in the world. I saw homeless people that had more Spirit than the so-called “well off” people. All of these people gave me reason for hope.

I have recently observed the growth of our RCIA brothers and sisters. I saw neophytes who last year only saw God’s potential, now see God as love. They have put their newfound love of God into action in many ministries. They give me reason for hope.

Our youth group is preparing for a mission trip to Mexico this summer and they have participated in numerous service projects. I saw young Christians get excited about going to Mass and serving anyway they could. These young Christians had the opportunity to serve in a soup kitchen and the Downtown Chapel and they came away with a different view of the work of the Holy Spirit in the world and in their lives. They give me reason for hope.

The Holy Spirit will give you the words you need to explain the reason for your hope.

Do you think God has a plan for us to find great joy? You bet he does! God sent Jesus so that we can be freed from guilt, sin, and fear and thus free to explore. Then, God sent the Holy Spirit to give us the wisdom to see great joy and recognize the source of our joy: the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Just like the Samarians who witnessed the miracles displayed by Philip had their eyes opened to the power of God. The Apostles recognized that the Samarians needed the Holy Spirit to truly see the source of their great joy.

The Apostles knew that the love that Jesus shared with them was not meant to be kept to themselves. The Apostles knew that the love of Jesus was meant to be shared with all people. Even the Samarians!

Do you think God has a plan for us to find great joy AND share it with others? You bet he does! Who are the Samarians in our life today? Who should we be sharing the good news with? The Holy Spirit will give you the wisdom to see great joy and see that joy in your brothers and sisters.

The Holy Spirit will give you the words you need to explain the reason for your hope. You will never be left alone, an orphan, give that same hope to everyone you meet.

URLVD

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